• Computers and Concrete
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

The use of non-linear analysis of structures in a functional way for evaluating the structural seismic behavior has attracted the attention of the engineering community in recent years. The most commonly used functional method for analysis is a non-linear static method known as the "pushover method". In this study, for the first time, a cyclic pushover analysis with different loading protocols was used for seismic investigation of curved bridges. The finite element model of 8-span curved bridges in plan created by the ZEUS-NL software was used for evaluating different pushover methods. In order to identify the optimal loading protocol for use in astatic non-linear cyclic analysis of curved bridges, four loading protocols (suggested by valid references) were used. Along with cyclic analysis, conventional analysis as well as adaptive pushover analysis, with proven capabilities in seismic evaluation of buildings and bridges, have been studied. The non-linear incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) method has been used to examine and compare the results of pushover analyses. To conduct IDA, the time history of 20 far-field earthquake records was used and the 50% fractile values of the demand given the ground motion intensity were computed. After analysis, the base shear vs displacement at the top of the piers were drawn. Obtained graphs represented the ability of a cyclic pushover analysis to estimate seismic capacity of the concrete piers of curved bridges. Based on results, the cyclic pushover method with ISO loading protocol provided better results for evaluating the seismic investigation of concrete piers of curved bridges in plan.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.29-44
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• 2020

The effectiveness and the sensitivity of a Wireless impedance/Admittance Monitoring System (WiAMS) for the prompt damage diagnosis of two single-storey single-span Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames under cyclic loading is experimentally investigated. The geometrical and the reinforcement characteristics of the RC structural members of the frames represent typical old RC frame structure without consideration of seismic design criteria. The columns of the frames are vulnerable to shear failure under lateral load due to their low height-to-depth ratio and insufficient transverse reinforcement. The proposed Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system comprises of specially manufactured autonomous portable devices that acquire the in-situ voltage frequency responses of a network of twenty piezoelectric transducers mounted to the RC frames. Measurements of external and internal small-sized piezoelectric patches are utilized for damage localization and assessment at various and increased damage levels as the magnitude of the imposed lateral cycle deformations increases. A bare RC frame and a strengthened one using a pair of steel crossed tension-ties (X-bracing) have been tested in order to check the sensitivity of the developed WiAMS in different structural conditions since crack propagation, damage locations and failure mode of the examined frames vary. Indeed, the imposed loading caused brittle shear failure to the column of the bare frame and the formation of plastic hinges at the beam ends of the X-braced frame. Test results highlighted the ability of the proposed SHM to identify incipient damages due to concrete cracking and steel yielding since promising early indication of the forthcoming critical failures before any visible sign has been obtained.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.187-196
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• 2016

The current seismic design code prescribes that coupling beam should be reinforced using diagonally bundled bars. However, the use of a diagonally bundled bars has a negative effect on constructability and economic efficiency. In the present study, the seismic performance of 4 coupling beams with the different details of reinforcement was evaluated through a cyclic reversal loading test. The specimens were constructed to measure the results of the experimental variable regarding the details of shear reinforcement. Next, the seismic performance of the coupled shear wall system evaluated by methods proposed in the FEMA P695. The cyclic reversal loading test results of this study showed that the performance of coupling beams with relaxed reinforcement detail was almost similar to that of a coupling beam with the ACI detail and meet the level which requested from standard. The result of the seismic evaluation showed that all coupling beams are satisfied with the design code and seismic performance.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.311-321
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• 2022

The interfacial bond strength of partially encased composite (PEC) structure tends to 0, therefore, the cast-in-place concrete theoretically cannot embody better composite effect than the fabricated structure. A total of 12 specimens were designed and experimented to investigate the energy dissipation and damage of fabricated PEC beam through unidirectional cyclic loading test. Because the concrete on both sides of the web was relatively independent, some specimens showed obvious asymmetric concrete damage, which led to specimens bearing torsion effect at the later stage of loading. Based on the concept of the ideal elastoplastic model of uniaxial tensile steel and the principle of equivalent energy dissipation, the energy dissipation ductility coefficient is proposed, which can simultaneously reflect the deformability and bearing capacity. In view of the whole deformation of the beam, the calculation formula of energy dissipation is put forward, and the energy dissipation and its proportion of shear-bending region and pure bending region are calculated respectively. The energy dissipation efficiency of the pure bending region is significantly higher than that of the shear-bending region. The setting of the screw arbors is conducive to improving the energy dissipation capacity of the specimens. Under the condition of setting the screw arbors and meeting the reasonable shear span ratio, reducing the concrete pouring thickness can lighten the deadweight of the component and improve the comprehensive benefit, and will not have an adverse impact on the energy dissipation capacity of the beam. A damage model is proposed to quantify the damage changes of PEC beams under cyclic load, which can accurately reflect the load damage and deformation damage.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.41-54
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• 2019

Reinforced Concrete (RC) shear walls are widely used in Nuclear power plants as effective lateral force resisting elements of the structure and these may experience nonlinear behavior for higher earthquake demand. Short shear walls of aspect ratio less than 1.5 generally experience combined shear flexure interaction. This paper presents the results of the displacement-controlled experiments performed on six RC short shear walls with varying aspect ratios (1, 1.25 and 1.5) for monotonic and reversed quasi-static cyclic loading. Simulation of the shear walls is then carried out by Finite element modeling and also by macro modeling considering the coupled shear and flexure behaviour. The shear response is estimated by softened truss theory using the concrete model given by Vecchio and Collins (1994) with a modification in softening part of the model and flexure response is estimated using moment curvature relationship. The accuracy of modeling is validated by comparing the simulated response with experimental one. Moreover, based on the experimental work a multi-linear hysteretic model is proposed for short shear walls. Finally ultimate load, drift, ductility, stiffness reduction and failure pattern of the shear walls are studied in details and hysteretic energy dissipation along with damage index are evaluated.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.877-890
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to present adequate modeling solutions for squat and slender RC walls. ASCE41-13 (American Society of Civil Engineers) specifies that the aspect ratios of height to width for the RC walls affect the hysteresis response. Thus, this study performed non-linear analysis subjected to cyclic loading using two different macroscopic models: one of macroscopic models represents flexural failure of RC walls (Shear Wall Element model) and the other (General Wall Element model) reflects diagonal shear failure occurring in the web of RC walls. These analytical results were compared to previous experimental studies for a slender wall (> aspect ratio of 3.0) and a squat wall (= aspect ratio of 1.0). For the slender wall, the difference between the two macroscopic models was negligible, but the squat wall was significantly affected by parameters for shear behavior in the modeling method. For accurate performance evaluation of RC buildings with squat walls, it would be reasonable to use macroscopic models that give consideration to diagonal shear.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.19-36
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• 2019

Cyclic behaviour of composite (steel-concrete) plate shear walls (CPSW) with variable column flexural stiffness is experimentally and numerically investigated. The investigation included design, fabrication and testing of three pairs of one-bay one-storey CPSW specimens. The reference specimen pair was designed in way that its column flexural stiffness corresponds to the value required by the design codes, while within the other two specimen pairs column flexural stiffness was reduced by 18% and 36%, respectively. Specimens were subjected to quasi-static cyclic tests. Obtained results indicate that column flexural stiffness reduction in CPSW does not have negative impact on the overall behaviour allowing for satisfactory performance for up to 4% storey drift ratio while also enabling inelastic buckling of the infill steel plate. Additionally, in comparison to similar steel plate shear wall (SPSW) specimens, column "pull-in" deformations are less pronounced within CPSW specimens. Therefore, the results indicate that prescribed minimal column flexural stiffness value used for CPSW might be conservative, and can additionally be reduced when compared to the prescribed value for SPSWs. Furthermore, finite element (FE) pushover simulations were conducted using shell and solid elements. Such FE models can adequately simulate cyclic behaviour of CPSW and as such could be further used for numerical parametric analyses. It is necessary to mention that the implemented pushover FE models were not able to adequately reproduce column "pull-in" deformation and that further development of FE simulations is required where cyclic loading of the shear walls needs to be simulated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.87 no.4
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• pp.333-346
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• 2023

This paper presents findings from an experimental study that was focused on evaluating the use of Forta-Ferro (FF) and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) fibers on the response of moderate and special ductility beams under load cycles. For this reason, eight full-scale specimens, identical in geometry, were subjected to gradual cyclic loading. The specimens included two plain concrete beams with medium and special ductility, three beams with medium ductility and stirrup spacing of one-quarter the effective depth (d/4) and three beams with special ductility, and stirrup spacing of one-half the effective depth (d/2), strengthened with FF and PVA fibers separately. The use of fibers was aimed at reducing the amount of shear reinforcement in flexural members. Here, the variation of parameters including the maximum strength, ultimate strength, stiffness, ductility, damage index, energy dissipation, and equivalent damping was studied. Utilizing FF and PVA fibers improved the performance in beams with moderate ductility when compared to those beams with special ductility. Therefore, in special ductility beams, fibers can be used instead of crossties and in moderate ductility beams, fibers can be added to reduce the ratio of shear reinforcement. Furthermore, increasing the stirrup spacing in the moderate ductility beams from d/4 to d/2 and adding 0.6% FF or 1.5% PVA fibers resulted in behavior similar to those of the moderate ductility beam.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.569-581
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• 2019

Corrugated steel plate shear wall (CSPSW) as an innovative lateral load resisting system provides various advantages in comparison with the flat steel plate shear wall, including remarkable in-plane and out-of-plane stiffnesses and stability, greater elastic shear buckling stress, increasing the amount of cumulative dissipated energy and maintaining efficiency even in large story drifts. Employment of low yield point (LYP) steel web plate in steel shear walls can dramatically improve their structural performance and prevent early stage instability of the panels. This paper presents a comprehensive structural performance assessment of corrugated low yield point steel plate shear walls having circular openings located in different positions. Accordingly, following experimental verification of CSPSW finite element models, several trapezoidally horizontal CSPSW (H-CSPSW) models having LYP steel web plates as well as circular openings (for ducts) perforated in various locations have been developed to explore their hysteresis behavior, cumulative dissipated energy, lateral stiffness, and ultimate strength under cyclic loading. Obtained results reveal that the rehabilitation of damaged steel shear walls using corrugated LYP steel web plate can enhance their structural performance. Furthermore, choosing a suitable location for the circular opening regarding the design purpose paves the way for the achievement of the shear wall's optimal performance.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.27-36
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• 1993

The drained and undrained behavior of pure silt was investigated experimentally. Special attention was given to the stress-strain behavior of silt prior to failure and behavior at failure under monotonic and cyclic loading. A pure silica flour was chosen to form samples with two different densities of D,=80%, eo=0.68 and D,=35%, eo=0.9. The isotropically consolidated samples were tested in the triaxial testing device under monotonic undrained, drained compression and extension conditions. Also samples were tested under cyclic undrained condition. Based on the experimental results. it was qualitively identified that the overall behavior of silt is similar to that of sand. When compared with clay, silt shows a significantly different behavior due to its dilatant nature under both the monotonic and cyclic shear loadings.